Disney World Costs for a Family of 4 Might Surprise You

A Disney family vacation certainly isn’t cheap. The average cost for a family of four to Disney World can easily top $6,000 for a seven-night trip, and that’s if you’re a frugal traveler.

But a weeklong family trip to Disney World exceeding $15,000 is not unheard of, especially for families splurging on memorable character meals and hotels closer to the theme park.

A recent NerdWallet analysis sought to understand the average cost for a family of four to go to Disney World, accounting for line items across these four categories:

• Park tickets (and add-ons, like Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass).

• On-property hotel room rates.

• Food at park restaurants.

• Add-on activities, like spa treatments and tours.

Because Disney offers options for all sorts of budgets, NerdWallet categorized trips into three price tiers: Value, Moderate and Deluxe (the same classifications that Disney World uses for its hotels). Frugal families might fit everyone into a single room and dine only at counter service restaurants or food carts. Meanwhile, families willing to spend more might purchase line-skipping privileges, larger rooms and fancier meals. Those variations are accounted for in NerdWallet’s price breakdowns. (Read our methodology at the end of this piece.)

Here’s what you can expect to spend per person, per day for a theme park ticket, hotel room and meal, based on travel style:

Here’s the average Disney World vacation cost for a family of four, broken down by travel style and length of trip. These prices include the cost of three meals per day on Disney property, daily theme park tickets and overnight stays at a Disney-owned hotel.

Disney World ticket prices

Disney World ticket prices vary by park and date, but one-day Magic Kingdom tickets average $160 apiece. (Magic Kingdom is typically viewed as the most family-friendly of the theme parks, but it’s also typically the most expensive park.)

Per-day prices drop the longer you stay. For example, five-day, one-park-per-day tickets average $643 (that’s $129 per day).

Some travelers might opt for upgrades like Park Hopper tickets, which let you visit multiple parks each day, or Lightning Lanes, which are priority queues for certain attractions.

Not accounting for upgrades, here’s how much a family of four can expect to spend on tickets, based on the number of theme park days:

There’s no such thing as family tickets to Disney World; tickets are sold per person. Disney automatically discounts ticket prices for kids under age 9 (those under age 3 don’t need a ticket at all), so families with young children might see slightly lower overall ticket costs.

Disney World hotels

Rooms at All-Star properties (which are considered Value hotels) start at $128 per night, according to Disney trip planning website Touring Plans. Meanwhile, nightly rates for one of Disney World’s most expensive Deluxe hotels, Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, start at $780.

Exact prices vary based on check-in date and property, but here are average prices broken down by type and trip length, according to NerdWallet’s analysis:

The $286 average rate for Disney’s cheapest rooms still exceeds the average hotel room rate off-property. According to Visit Orlando’s 2022 Travel Industry Indicators, Orlando’s average daily room rate is just $186.49, about 35% less than the cheapest room at a Disney resort.

Disney World food

NerdWallet also calculated the average meal prices depending on restaurant type. Meals consisted of an entree and drink and, at waiter service restaurants, an appetizer or dessert.

However, these Disney food prices did not account for kids meals, which are usually cheaper.

Consider one of the best family restaurants at Disney World, the African-inspired buffet at Tusker House Restaurant, located in the Animal Kingdom theme park. Dinner, which features walkaround Disney characters in safari garb, costs $59 (before tax and tip) for ages 10 and up. But kids under 9 can eat for $38 (a 35% discount), and children under 3 eat for free.

Satu'li Canteen, located in the “Avatar” section of the theme park, is another family-favorite restaurant in Animal Kingdom. It's famous for its cheeseburger pod, which is a bao bun stuffed with classic cheeseburger ingredients. The adult serving costs $13.29 while the smaller kids version is just $8.59 — also a 35% discount.

Other activities and expenses

Food, tickets and hotels are hardly the only Disney family trip costs. NerdWallet’s calculations did not account for sundries and souvenirs, which might add to the average cost for a trip to Disney.

NerdWallet’s seven-day trip estimations did account for other entertainment and activities. Disney officially refers to these activities as its Enchanting Extras Collection, which includes animal encounters, educational classes and recreational activities.

Prices for Disney Enchanting Extras vary, though there’s something for every budget. The 60-minute Caring for Giants tour at Animal Kingdom costs just $35 per person and gets you closer to the elephants than other park guests are allowed.

Families looking to splurge might book the three-hour private Wild Africa Trek tour, which costs $199 per person and involves hiking, off-roading in a safari vehicle and traversing a rope bridge.

At the Magic Kingdom, families with very young children might book the My First Haircut package at Harmony Barber Shop. For $28, you get a haircut plus commemorative Mickey Ears, a certificate and a keepsake lock of hair. Kids from ages 3 to 12 might prefer the stylings at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. For $100, they get a fresh hairdo plus makeup, nail polish and a princess sash, while the $200 package includes a full princess gown.

If you’re doing Disney World on a budget, a more affordable Enchanting Extra might include a round of miniature golf at either of Disney’s two courses, which cost just $12 per child or $14 per adult.

For seven-night trips, here’s how much additional money NerdWallet estimates you should budget, per person, for Disney World extras:

• Value: $142.

• Moderate: $221.

• Deluxe: $455.

Not all families will opt for add-on activities, but for longer trips, it would be wise to keep some room in the Disney budget, just in case.

A family of four should expect to spend a minimum of $6,000 once on-property for seven nights at Walt Disney World, including food, hotel, theme park tickets and add-ons. But a trip to Disney World can also be done for far less. Here’s how:

1. Cut back on theme park days with free or cheap activities.

2. Book Disney Good Neighbor Hotels, which are family resorts near Disney World that are generally more budget-friendly. Many can be booked on points and miles, ideal if you’ve been stockpiling credit card rewards.

3. Seek Disney World family vacation packages, many of which are offered through Good Neighbor hotels.

To better understand the average cost of a vacation to Disney World for a family of four, NerdWallet analyzed more than 200 ticket prices, 550 Disney-owned hotel room rates and more than 100 additional activities and restaurant prices between April 2023 and April 2024. From there, NerdWallet used average costs to build sample trip budgets.

NerdWallet’s trip costs start once you’re on-property, thus don’t account for parking, airfare or driving costs. Here’s what’s included in each price tier:

Additional notes:

• Because Walt Disney World ticket prices vary by park, one-day ticket prices were based on Magic Kingdom admission. Two-day ticket prices were based on Magic Kingdom and Epcot. 

• NerdWallet’s analysis did not account for Park Hopper tickets, which allow access to multiple theme parks per day.

• Meals are based on standard menus. Families ordering from the kids menu will likely save on Disney World food costs.

These budgets should be used to estimate rather than determine your own Disney trip costs. For instance, you might spend less if you pack your own snacks, or you might spend more if you spring for miscellaneous add-ons (e.g. taxis, Mickey-shaped balloons or PhotoPass).

Sam Kemmis and Carissa Rawson contributed to this report.